It was a disappointing loss for the Nashville Predators on Thursday evening by the hands of the Edmonton Oilers, however for one Predators participant — Luke Schenn — it was a milestone evening that, at one level, could have appeared like a pipe dream.
For the veteran defenceman, it marked his 1,000th profession common season NHL recreation making him the 399th participant in NHL historical past to succeed in that mark. For Schenn, it was a very long time coming. It’s a milestone that took a street by way of the AHL after having the hopes of a franchise positioned on his shoulders as a 19-year-old.
Drafted fifth general in 2008 by the Toronto Maple Leafs, some believed that Schenn could be the saviour for the workforce. At 19, he got here in to the league for a workforce that had little or no id. He performed 4 seasons in Toronto earlier than becoming a member of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2012-13 as a 23-year-old.
“It hasn’t been a straightforward street, for positive, at occasions,” mentioned Schenn on his path to 1,000 video games performed. “I’ve form of skilled the highs, so far as profitable within the League, and the lows of lows and being within the minors midway by way of my profession. To be resilient and get to this quantity, it’s not a lot the sport however I suppose simply extra so happy with the journey. I wouldn’t have drawn it up or predicted the best way it’s gone.”
Formally welcoming Luke Schenn to the silver stick membership 👏
Congratulations to the @PredsNHL defenceman on hitting NHL recreation No. 1,000! pic.twitter.com/bA0VUo9i6x
— NHLPA (@NHLPA) October 18, 2024
Schenn was a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning and helped them win the Stanley Cup in back-to-back seasons in 2020 and 2021 earlier than making a return to the Maple Leafs in 2022-23 for 15 video games following the commerce deadline.
Skating in his 1,000th recreation makes him the eighth first-round decide from 2008 to succeed in that milestone with Tyler Myers sitting at 999, and the eighth participant general from that draft to hit 1,000. He’s additionally simply the 129th defenceman in NHL historical past to succeed in the mark.
